2014 Chalupa Chase preview: Davis eyes double

by Al Pastor

“You can hit it as long as you want,” says the 2013 champion, “and they don’t give you points for hitting it close.” In his left hand, the Pro holds the ceremonial Balander Driver.

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It’s in the Bag…2013 Chase for the Chalupa Champion “Mr.” Eddy Davis

It was a touch of Deja-vu all over again. Defending Chalupa Chase champion “Mr.” Eddy Davis came within a winter’s worst whisker of birdieing the first three holes of the season opener. A good start is key for Davis who stresses the importance of maintaining good karma. “It’s major league,” he said recently. “It sets the tone. I don’t know what I mean by that. I know it’s good.”

Talking tools with Golf Digress on the eve of his 51st birthday, the “Pro” threw down the gauntlet. “It’s all between me and the golf course,” he said. “Everybody’s going to be playing harder. Once you win the first one, everybody wants to win it, and you want to win it, too. You can’t get the hat trick unless you win the second one. If I can get 10 up on y’all, it’s over.”

Coy about tinkering, he mentioned improving his strength and hydration, adding: “I’m gonna change my body first before I change my equipment.” One club unlikely to change: his Scotty Cameron. “No sir. Joe [former Clay/Kizer Director of Golf Joe Balander] told me it was a pretty nice putter, good balance, good weight. He gave me a good deal. I bought two.” (Younger brother Warren has the other.) 2013 was, he offered, an “interesting year. It started off slow but picked up. I think my putting was good overall. You can hit it as long as you want, and they don’t give you points for hitting it close.”

FAIRWAY WOOD TaylorMade Rescue (21 degrees, 65 gram, Aldila regular RIP shaft. “For when I need to open up some ass-kicking anywhere from 175 to maybe 200, or, 150 out into a stiff wind. “

IRONS Cleveland CG1s, 5-PW, Regular flex, GAP 95 graphite shaft. “Curtis [CK club guru Curtis Short] gave me these. I was hitting Nike. I liked the way they looked, the way they feel. That’s the only thing to me – look and feel. The weight’s good, the shaft’s not too stiff, feels perfect.” Grips are Golf Pride Velvet: “real simple, not very fancy, just a clean grip.”

WEDGES “Most of the shots are from 100 yards in. That’s the money. That’s the difference between birdie and par. In the Chase for the Chalupa, it’s all about the birdies.” He carries four: Cleveland CG1 PW (48 degrees), and three Pings, the Tour-S (56/12) and (52/12) and the PING Tour-W (54 degrees with 10 degrees of bounce). The 56 is the favorite. “The 60 is like the rescue club. That’s the one I get out of the garbage can with. But it’s limited in its yardage. Its good 50 yards [and] in.”

PUTTER Scotty Cameron Napa, c. 1995, with a Winn mid-sized grip. It replaced an 8802. “Mr. [now Sir] Edward Boufford took that out of the bag. I was whupping his ass with it so he decided to take it back.” (Davis’s young son, Jaden, an aspiring golfer, has shown repeated interest in the Napa, now routinely sold online for upwards of $900.) “He’s not getting it.”